Mielie meal

Mielie meal, also known as mealie meal or maize meal, is a relatively coarse flour (much coarser than cornflour or cornstarch) made from maize or mealies in Southern Africa, from the Portuguese milho. This is uncertain, as "mealie", in South Africa is an Afrikaans word. Etymology. Borrowed from Afrikaans mielie, from obsolete Dutch milie (“millet, maize”), from Old French mil (“millet”). It is also known by various other indigenous language names depending on the locality or country. It was originally brought to Africa from the Americas by the Portuguese.

It is a food that was originally eaten by the Voortrekkers during The Great Trek, but has become the staple diet of most Southern African countries. Because of its ability to be stored without refrigeration, it is cheap and abundant in all shops and markets. It is a staple food in South Africa, Mozambique, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Botswana and many other parts of Southern Africa, traditionally made into uphuthu, Unga (Nshima), sour-milk porridge, pap, Munkoyo, and also umqombothi and Chibwantu (types of beer).